The minutes of the 2/24/97 PPERRIA monthly Board, Membership and Neighborhood meeting were corrected and approved. To be a separate paragraph is the sentence: "At the April 1997 monthly Board, Membership and Neighborhood meeting; there will be a discussion of the Malcolm/Orlin intersection."

Passed without noes was a NRP/PPERRIA Safety and Security Committee motion: "To use up to $5,000 of committee NRP/PPERRIA fund for purchase of motion detectors and "Mpls Watch Force" signs. Paula Denman of the committee, indicated that the signs are used throughout Mpls to remind everyone that neighbors are "keeping an eye on" what is going on in the neighborhood. The city attaches the signs to existing posts. Concern was expressed about increasing sign clutter. The motion detectors are given by Block Clubs to neighbors who are willing to install the detectors and keep them operational.

Paula Denman also reminded us of "Earth Day" and river clean up on 4/19/97 and neighborhood clean up and sale on 5/3/97. Sign up sheets were circulated.

Susan Gottlieb of the NRP/PPERRIA Safety and Security Committee, indicated that the committee has decided to restart the Block Club Sidewalk Lighting petition process. The process was started on 12/96 and suspended 3/97 so that there could be an evaluation of the then announced city mid- and short-block street lighting proposal of up to 25 additional current style street lights. [See the two neighborhood mailings from Joan Campbell, Councilmember.] Although these additional street lights would be installed at no extra cost to neighborhood property owners, the total of current street lights would be about half of the number of the proposed sidewalk lights (304). The sidewalk lights would provide continuous lighting on neighborhood sidewalks and intersections in addition to an improved aesthetic effect. The city operating cost would be about the same for either street lights or sidewalk lights. There will be either street lights or sidewalk lights, not both. Concern was expressed that if all eighty city neighborhoods accepted the proposed mid- and short-block additional lights, the $150,000 allocated by the city would not allow installation of all requested street lights. Although the NRP/PPERRIA plan has budgeted $372,500 toward the cost of installation of sidewalk lights, there will be an individual property owner assessment of the remaining cost. Because the proposal by the city for the additional street lights needs to be included in the Sidewalk Lighting petition process, this will result in a revision of the remaining time schedule and a revisiting of the existing petition results. Examples of the sidewalk lights can be seen on Tower Hill and a visit to Loring Park will give one an example of a total installation. More to come.

Tere’ Jones, Sherri Simmons and Linda Tucker of Minneapolis "Way To Grow" reported and answered questions about their SE Way to Grow Program. It is a school readiness and family friendly program developed with input from the neighborhood and uses a neighborhood organization as a collaborative council. It is more a process than a specific program. "Way to Grow" gathers specific information on neighborhood issues and resources for neighborhood families and acts as an initial contact and entry point for community organizing. Definition of the SE neighborhood is as one of eleven city planning districts, not one of the eighty recognized neighborhoods. The University planning district includes the neighborhoods of Como, Marcy Holmes, Mid City Industrial, Nicollet, and the University of Minnesota, as well as PPERRIA. Using 158 contacts from these neighborhoods, a report was prepared by the Way to Go staff. (Copies available at Pratt and Luxton.) An existing neighborhood organization is to be selected for the planning process. Any needed services required by the plan will be provided by contracts from existing providers. Way to Grow is administrated by the City of Minneapolis Youth Coordinating Board and funded by federal, state, local and private revenue. Watch for further developments.

Mary Legris, chair of the NRP/PPERRIA Environment Committee, presented the following motion which was passed without noes: "The Environment Committee moves that $5000 in NRP/PPERRIA Environment funds be released to hire a certified acoustic engineer to measure freeway noise along I-94 at and near Luxton Park and at East River Terrace (Goal A2)." The added freeway lane and change in the Huron exit and entrance has increased traffic noise in the neighborhood. Past noise studies were done by the State of Minnesota Dept. of Transportation (MDOT) and the neighborhood had little say as to where and when noise readings were taken. The new wall on Yale was installed due to new construction on the Huron interchange. There are no additional noise walls currently planned. PPERRIA is number 43 of 50 on MDOT’s list for additional noise readings. It was pointed out that "noise abatement" usually refers to noise walls and seldom refers to road surface as a factor. Also mentioned was that the new wall may by itself baffle the noise into the neighborhood.

Mary Lagris also presented the second following motion which passed without noes: "The NRP/PPERRIA Environment Committee moves that the NRP/PPERRIA Environment Committee continue to pursue a Good Neighbor Agreement with American National Can while continuing to pursue all our options regarding the company’s current request for an amendment to its Air Emissions Permit. American Can is located on 27th Ave SE. The options include asking Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) for a public hearing on the request. Necessary letters will be sent. The committee is also applying for a Minnesota Department of Natural Resources grant to help with any costs.

Florence Littman, Chair of Zoning Committee; reviewed the committee’s recommendations.

Joan Campbell, Councilmember; announced there are several open positions on the City Capital Long Range Investment Committee (CLIC); if anyone is interested please call 673-2202 or fax 673-3940.

Stephanie Oskie passed out information about the annual Marcy school plant sale.

Mary Alice Kopf mentioned that environmental clean up on the Schnitzer/Watkins site on 4th Street is in process and when complete, the sale to KSTP for building expansion will be closed.

Dean Lund mentioned that the PPERRIA Motley Task Force is in the process of forming a vision statement for the Motley neighborhood, one that should result in something physical in addition to a plan. More to come.

Daniel Patenaude for the NRP/PPERRIA Housing Improvement Committee, recommended acceptance of the recommended Guidelines for the NRP/PPERRIA Motley District Housing Purchase Assistance Program. The draft program was first presented at the 2/24/97 PPERRIA Board/Membership/Neighborhood meeting and was referred for "refining" at the 3/10/97 PPERRIA Executive meeting and then to be presented at the 3/24/97 Board/Membership/ Neighborhood meeting. If accepted, recommendation would be forwarded to Robert Miller of NRP and also to Don Snyder of MCDA who will administrator the fund. If approved, recommendation will be forwarded to University of Minnesota Real Estate Office, to be included in their RFP mailings of intent to sell their properties in the Motley neighborhood. The University has indicated they would give preference to owner-occupied purchasers if the NRP/PPERRIA purchase assistance were available. The draft is a revised version of the NRP/East Harriet Home Ownership Program currently being administered by MCDA.

Major changes: a five to seven year grant forgiveness (this recognizing the at-least-five-year time line for a degree); the promotion of owner-occupied housing; the selection of buyers through the University Real Estate RFP process; listing of the grant expiration date as 9/1/97; adding of a "sweat equity" option; and the added requirement that there be an internal as well as external inspection of the properties before the mailing of the RFPs. The NRP/PPERRIA Housing Improvement Committee, with the understanding that all parties agreed that the number of structures eligible for NRP/PPERRIA Housing Assistance grants is changed from 15 to 12. This change in number was made to acknowledge that Dinnaken has a project planned for one block that includes three properties. After much discussion, motion was passed to return the number of properties eligible for assistance back to up to 15 from 12. The vote was 14 yes and 8 no. The motion then was passed without noes to accept the committee recommendation. An open question is the date the University Real Estate Office will mail the RFPs, the current estimate being 4/1/97. Also recommended is there be 45 days to respond. More to come on the Motley Neighborhood.

No old business.

New business presented by Jim Widder, President: Watch for a mailing from Joan Campbell, Councilmember, about a special meeting on the Franklin Ave sewer work and the City Public Works plan for the Orlin/Malcolm street design (the south end of Pratt). It was mentioned that the mailing list used may not be current, so if you do not get a notice or the address is not correct, contact her at the numbers above. On 5/17/97, the Southeast coalition, earlier known as SEMPAC, will be celebrating the formal opening of the walkway that connects the western end of the river park to the eastern end. Watch for announced specifics. PPERRIA and NRP/PPERRIA Committee Chairs are requested to have a one-page summary and goals to be presented at the 4/28/97 annual PPERRIA Board, Membership and Neighborhood meeting. There have been difficulties with the monthly mailing arriving at least two days before the scheduled meeting. It may be necessary to use first class postage—at an additional cost of 32 cents each.

Motion passed without noes to adjourn.